TechCrunch went 1.0 old school recently with the release of their own TechCrunch Forums. Michael Arrington explains one good use for the forums already:

… is the area reserved for entrepreneurs to introduce their startups to the community. The category was opened over the weekend. As of the time I’m writing this two days later, forty-three startups have posted there, generating nearly three hundred user comments. We’re watching the category closely and will be writing about many of the startups that are getting a lot of attention there.

Nice job, Mike, this is a good way to deal with the challenge of choosing what to and not to write about. If TechCrunch passes on writing something — the no writes mentioned in the title of this post — then comments from others on the forums could generate future interest and ressurect the idea of turning a no write to a write. Community promotion. Subscribed.

On a smaller scale for this blog I’ve been experimenting via Hmm Labs with community promotion using the digg-clone software pligg at hmmpost.com, allowing Hmm readers to contribute directly to my 2007 reading list. My reading list is a major source where things to write about are chosen and this gives those I’m not directly subscribed to the chance to submit something for consideration to me. If you’d like to submit something to be considered blogged at MakeYouGoHmm.com, then register for Hmmpost and submit the URL with short description. The Hmmpost bookmarklet (right click and sae to favorites) is available to make it convenient to submit to hmmpost.com.

Update 1/10/07 8:38am PST: Former (?) On hiatus TC writer Nik adds 8 additional suggestions on how best to pitch your product/service to TC and others. Good advice.

• The ties that bind RSS, OPML and a digg-clone mashup
• Digg clone spotted: Wobble
• 50+ English digg clone, digg-type sites
• Protecting the TechCrunch secret sauce
• After death MySpacees don’t part with MyDeathSpace
• Compare your Digg stats to others